HOW POOR ORAL HYGIENE MAY RESULT IN METABOLIC SYNDROME Periodontal or gum disease is known to be a significant risk factor of metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions increasing the risk for heart disease and diabetes. In a new study, researchers discovered that infection with Porphyromonas gingivalis, the bacterium causing periodontal disease, causes skeletal muscle metabolic dysfunction, the precursor to metabolic syndrome, by altering the composition of the gut microbiome. Periodontal bactería have long been known to cause inflammation within the oral cavity, but also systemically increase inflammatory mediators. As a result, sustained infection with periodontal bacteria can lead to increases in body weight and lead to increased insulin resistance, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes. The function of insulin is to help shuttle glucose from the blood into tissues, most importantly to skeletal muscle, where one quarter of all glucose is stored. Unsurprisingly, insulin resistance plays a key role in the development of metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions including obesity, altered lipid metabolism, high blood pressure, high blood glucose levels, and systemic inflammation. The researchers found that patients with metabolic syndrome were likely to have undergone infection with Porphyromonas gingivalis and thus have mounted an immune response yielding antibodies against the germ. But how was this bacterium capable of causing systemic inflammation and metabolic syndrome? To answer this question, the researchers focused on the gut microbiome, the network of bacteria present in the gut and with which the organism co-exists symbiotically. Intriguingly, the researchers found that in mice administered with Porphyromonas gingivalis the gut microbiome was significantly altered, which might decrease insulin sensitivity. Presented as a service to the community by Dr. Barbara Webster 1121 Warren Ave., Suite 130, Downers Grove, IL 60515 630-663-0554 HOW POOR ORAL HYGIENE MAY RESULT IN METABOLIC SYNDROME Periodontal or gum disease is known to be a significant risk factor of metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions increasing the risk for heart disease and diabetes. In a new study, researchers discovered that infection with Porphyromonas gingivalis, the bacterium causing periodontal disease, causes skeletal muscle metabolic dysfunction, the precursor to metabolic syndrome, by altering the composition of the gut microbiome. Periodontal bactería have long been known to cause inflammation within the oral cavity, but also systemically increase inflammatory mediators. As a result, sustained infection with periodontal bacteria can lead to increases in body weight and lead to increased insulin resistance, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes. The function of insulin is to help shuttle glucose from the blood into tissues, most importantly to skeletal muscle, where one quarter of all glucose is stored. Unsurprisingly, insulin resistance plays a key role in the development of metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions including obesity, altered lipid metabolism, high blood pressure, high blood glucose levels, and systemic inflammation. The researchers found that patients with metabolic syndrome were likely to have undergone infection with Porphyromonas gingivalis and thus have mounted an immune response yielding antibodies against the germ. But how was this bacterium capable of causing systemic inflammation and metabolic syndrome? To answer this question, the researchers focused on the gut microbiome, the network of bacteria present in the gut and with which the organism co-exists symbiotically. Intriguingly, the researchers found that in mice administered with Porphyromonas gingivalis the gut microbiome was significantly altered, which might decrease insulin sensitivity. Presented as a service to the community by Dr. Barbara Webster 1121 Warren Ave., Suite 130, Downers Grove, IL 60515 630-663-0554